


I found a home in you

by Kuguri



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Gender-Neutral Reader-Insert, M/M, Other, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 16:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6247996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuguri/pseuds/Kuguri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are not enough words in the world that can express how lucky I am to have found you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I found a home in you

**Author's Note:**

> "'Nobody can avoid falling in love. They might want to deny it, but friendship is probably the most common form of love."  
> — Stieg Larsson

  **There are not enough words in the world that can express**

        To Kenma, the gym feels strangely empty despite the loud, incessant chatter between his teammates. As Taketora lets out an obnoxious laugh, Kenma half expects to hear a familiar, but slightly ominous drawl command silence. Instead, he only hears the firm and gentle speech of Vice Captain Nobuyuki calming the excited nerves of the team.   
  
        Kuroo had taken the day off school, having come down with the flu. On any other day, Kenma wouldn’t have minded. But today there is a practice match, and the fact that Kuroo is absent shows just how serious his cold is. Kenma sighs inwardly as he readies himself to set another ball. After tossing the ball to Lev who manages to successfully spike the ball, he takes a chance to survey the opponent team.  
  
        Kousen Academy practices their receives on the opposite side of the court. When Kenma catches the eye of a particularly unpleasant-looking player, he shoots him a condescending sneer. Kenma looks away.  
  
        “How long do we have until the match starts?” He asks Inuoka in his usual monotone. Inuoka straightens his posture from the crouch he was positioned in and grins at his teammate.  
  
        “In around fifteen minutes,” He chirps. Inuoka doesn’t find it odd when Kenma doesn’t bother offering back a reply, he’s very familiar with the setter’s reticent nature. What he does pick up on, however, is Kenma’s anxiety, especially with the way Kenma’s hands are rolled tightly into fists at his sides, and his eyes are glued to the ground. “Kenma-san, are you all right?”   
  
        “I’m going to… the restroom.” Kenma doesn’t wait for a reply and starts to make his way towards the exit. His steps are quiet and measured, but his insides are anything but. Inuoka is about to protest when Kenma finally slinks out of the gym, but Yaku holds him back and gives him a look.  
  
        “Just give him space,” He tells him sternly. Inuoka, still concerned for the setter, frowns but follows the third year’s order. Yaku pats him on the back lightly before turning around on his heel to resume scolding Lev and Taketora for their over-excessive noise.  
  
        Kenma doesn’t go to the restroom. Instead he finds himself loitering in the hallways. He’s searching for something; he doesn’t know exactly what—maybe if Kuroo was here, he would know. Kenma only feels restless as he can’t help but pace back and forth the length of the hallway.  
  
        He isn’t sure whether to be thankful or nervous for the growing sound of chattering just around the corner, snapping him out of his trance temporarily. With the footsteps getting louder, Kenma turns around to see two lanky boys clad in navy blue and black coloured jerseys. Kousen.  
  
        Kenma pretends not to see them and continues walking down the hallway, hoping desperately that they wouldn’t pay attention to him. But much to his chagrin, they stop directly in front of him, looming over him. One player with a particularly feral look in his eyes grins at him.  
  
        "Ah, a stray cat,” He teases. “What are you supposed to be? A bench player?” Kenma makes a move to slip away but another, much taller player steps in his way. When Kenma looks up to meet his eyes, he smirks down at him. They both look at him expectantly.  
  
        “… Setter.” Kenma finally mutters.  
  
        The taller Kousen player snorts. “Woah, wait, _what_?” He jabs his teammate in the ribs, eyes twinkling in amusement as he looks down at Kenma. “You’re their setter?” A low whistle.   
  
        “Hah, maybe we’ll finish this match early.” They shove past him, knocking him harshly on the shoulders. Kenma stumbles but regains his balance, heart beating fast from the confrontation. He digs his hand into his pocket for his phone, but he’s grasping at thin air. He wants to curse, but he doesn’t. Instead he lets out a shaky breath and takes a seat by the vending machine. His ears pick up the sound of footsteps around the corner, and dread pools into his stomach as he pictures the Kousen players again. Maybe he should've stayed in the gym with the rest of his team. As the sound of the footsteps increase, Kenma shrinks into himself, as if willing his entire being to sink into the backdrop and somehow disappear.  
  
        But then he sees a pair school shoes enter his line of vision from where he’s staring at his feet. A student from Nekoma.  
  
        “Hey,” At the sound of your voice, the silence around him shatters. The weight of the suffocating quiet is lifted from his shoulders and Kenma feels like he can breathe again. He lifts his head up and he meets your vibrant, clear eyes. The way your eyes pierce directly into his without any reservation makes him regret it in an instant, but his instinct to run is immediately quashed by the sheer brightness you seemed to be exuding.  
  
        “You’re just the one I’ve been looking for,” you tell him with a smile, pleased to have found Nekoma’s setter. With his unmistakeable pudding hair colour scheme, you’re certain it’s him. Your heart pumps in anticipation as you gaze into amber coloured eyes. Quiet settles between the two of you, as Kenma finds himself searching for words to say. But they're all stuck in his throat. He lets out a breath of relief when you decide to continue talking.  
  
        "You probably don’t know me but I’ve watched you play before,” You say carefully to the timid boy in front of you, afraid he might disappear with so much of a touch. As you open your mouth again to continue, you see him brace himself, as if expecting the worst. His gaze is averted but this doesn’t discourage you in the slightest.  
  
        “And I’ve never gotten the chance to tell you how amazing you are.”   
  
        The blood inside him stops running and he finds his head snapping up at your words of praise. An unexpected warmth floods his insides which is even further sharpened by the sincere look you were giving him. You’re not perturbed by the penetrating look in his eyes, only smiling gently at him. Before he can get a word out, he hears thundering footsteps down the hallway which causes the both of you to startle.  
  
        “Kenma-san! Where are you?” Lev bellows, his voice booming across the corridor. “We’re lining up now!” You laugh slightly as you watch his face morph into a deadpan expression. You take this as your cue to go.  
  
        “Good luck!” You say to him. Without waiting for a reply you start hurrying towards the gym, hoping to find a last-minute good seat before the match. Nevertheless, you look back over your shoulder to send him a final smile. “You’ll do great!” Just as you disappear from his sight, Lev rounds the corner jogging, slightly out of breath.  
  
        "Jeez Kenma-san, let’s hurry,” He says, tugging the sleeve of Kenma’s jersey for emphasis. “Yaku-san is going to kill us!” Kenma allows himself to smile slightly at that. It then hits him that the knots in his stomach are gone, and the tight feeling in his chest has vanished too.  
  
        “Ready?” Lev asks his upperclassman with a self-satisfied grin on his face as they rush through the hallway together. A thoughtful expression comes over Kenma’s face as he tries searching for the nerves that had overtaken him earlier. There is none; all he finds is a cool sort of calmness.  
  
         “… Let’s go.” At Kenma’s words, the self-proclaimed ace of Nekoma’s grin widens even more. They both pick up their pace and enter the gym, Lev with a bounce in his step, and Kenma with a spark in his eyes.

  
 

 

**how lucky I am to have found you.**

        You scrutinise the different ice creams in the freezer, deliberating on which treat to choose. You had just finished your club activities and you all decided to stop by the minimart for some snacks before parting ways. Beside you is Kenma, who’s already chosen his treat; apple pie, of course. He’s busily playing on his console now. Kuroo is a few aisles down, looking at the warm, savoury foods section—from the brief time you’ve interacted with him, you’ve noticed that he isn’t much of a fan of sweets.   
  
        After your short encounter with Kenma before the practice match between Kousen, Kenma had found out that you were in the same class. From that point onwards, you had begun seeing more and more of each other—your friendly and warm disposition was quite compatible with Kenma’s laid-back nature. It was no surprise you got along with Kuroo too, you both had a penchant for making jokes and finding amusement in everything. Admittedly, Kenma found your presence a welcome change.   
  
        “Still choosing?” You hear a lazy drawl from behind you. Kuroo makes his way on your other side, gaze also fixated on the freezer in front of you. You shrug half-heartedly.  
  
        “You know what,” you say, “I don’t want ice cream.” Kuroo looks at you and raises a brow. Before he can say anything, you continue.  
  
        “The apple pie Kenma has looks pretty good, maybe I’ll get one too,” You say breezily as you pick up a pie from its shelf. At your words, Kenma misses his cue to block and ends up taking a critical hit from his opponent, landing him in a precarious position. Kenma grunts as he begins to furiously mash the buttons in attempts to gain the upper hand once more. He ignores Kuroo snickering over his shoulder.  
  
        Out of kindness, Kuroo pays for the both of you. The three of you are now walking shoulder to shoulder, with you and Kuroo flanking Kenma’s sides. While eating your snacks, the two of you look over Kenma’s shoulder to watch him play his game.  
  
        “What game is that?” You ask before taking another bite out of your apple pie.   
  
        “Fire Quest VII.” Kuroo tells you as he munches on his curry bread.  
  
        “Fire Quest VII? Sounds like a fantasy game.”  
  
        “It is,” Kenma says. He could’ve stopped himself there, but something inside of him urges him to continue. He pauses his game. “You, you’re the main character. You wake up in the middle of the woods and you meet the Princess of Ysleil. You befriend her and join her party. You find out that there’s an ancient, evil spirit that’s about to awaken after a millennium of slumber, and you have to stop it before it destroys the whole universe,” Although he had spoken in his usual monotone, he pauses to regain his breath.  
  
        “The storyline is good. And the gameplay is unique as well,” Kenma adds after a moment of silence. “It’s a strategy game.” Kuroo’s eyes are practically sparkling in equal parts pride and something ... slightly ominous. This is normal and is something Kenma is used to—it's not Kuroo's fault that he was born with a naturally intimidating facade. Kuroo sends Kenma a cheeky grin, only confusing him. This isn’t the first time he’s spoken this much to Kuroo before— _Oh…_ There’s you now too.  
  
        He’s almost afraid to look at your face to see a wide-eyed gape that people so often gave him whenever he spoke a word too much. Sometimes they’d flock to him and ask him if something was the matter, or they'd gasp in shock and joke about the end of the world coming because Kenma just spoke too much, and that is something completely unheard of. If there’s one thing he hates more than attention, it is overreaction from his peers at his actions. What he doesn’t expect is to see you nodding your head and looking somewhat thoughtful, taking all of his words in.   
  
        “I see,” You say—was that fascination he sensed in your voice? “That sounds really interesting, I’ll look into it!”  
  
        “You will? / You will?” The way Kenma asks is more monotone compared to Kuroo’s teasing one. The pair of best friends exchange looks, Kuroo smirking and Kenma rolling his eyes lightly.  
  
        “Why not?” You smile at Kenma. “I want to get to know you more, and this is one way,” Kenma widens his eyes, immediately taken aback by your words. But he can’t deny the flood of warmth that rushes in him. Kuroo grins, pleased.

  
 

 

**Sometimes I’m not good at showing my feelings and I’m scared**

        Kenma and Kuroo are the only ones left awake with the rest of team already tucked in their futons asleep, dead tired from the nonstop matches with their so-called destined rivals today. After locking the screen of his phone, Kuroo lets out a big yawn before rubbing the back of his head. He turns beside him to see Kenma’s face illuminated by the bright screen of his gaming console. The corners of Kuroo’s lips lift up a little at the sight of Kenma’s calm and collected visage. Eyes calculating, and fingers relaxedly pressing the buttons—the way Kenma looked perfectly content brings ease to Kuroo.  
  
        “Don’t stay up too late,” He says. Yawning again, he settles down on his back, adjusting his pillows under his bedhead. Kenma doesn’t look up from his screen and only nods.   
  
        “Night,” says Kuroo when he finds the perfect position, the sound of ruffling sheets finally coming to a stop. This time Kenma pauses his game to look up. He’s greeted by the sight of Kuroo wedging his bedhead in between two pillows. Kenma snorts a little.  
  
        “… Night,”  
  
        There’s only silence in the air now, and sometimes a grunt or snore or two from one of his teammates. Darkness blankets the room with the only source of light coming from the console in his hands. The silence had never bothered him before, but for some reason or another, it feels kind of … empty now.  
  
        But then he notices a soft flash of light in the corner of his eye, and then another, and another. It’s his phone screen blinking. Kenma keeps his phone on silent mode, not even on vibrate, as most sounds grated on his nerves. Kenma picks up his phone with his free hand and reads the contact name calling him. _You_. Butterflies fill his stomach and he’s stuck between ignoring the call to settle his anxiety, or steeling his nerves and picking it up. He settles for the latter at the very last moment.  
  
        “Oi Kenma, what do I make my strength.” He doesn’t notice his lips lifting up into a smile at the sound of your voice and the soft background music of the game your playing.  
  
        “Skill,” Kenma replies.  
  
        “Skill? What does that even do? Why not Speed? Or Magic?”   
  
        “The higher your Skill, the more critical hits you’ll land,”   
  
        “Oh, okay.” Silence settles between the two of you, but Kenma finds his eyes closing at how soothing it is. Your voice breaks the silence again, but Kenma welcomes it.  
  
        “Oh yeah, how were your matches today? What’s Miyagi like?”  
  
        “We won all of them—“ He’s interrupted by you cheering on the other side of the line. Kenma smiles. “And Miyagi is nice. I got lost actually—”  
  
        “What?!” You blurt out. Kenma holds his phone back from his ear, the smile on his face growing slightly. He's not one to be partial to animated personalities, but he finds your liveliness invigorating.  
  
        “—but it’s okay, because I wouldn’t have met Shouyou otherwise.”  
  
        “Who is...” You’re a bit startled by the warm tone in his voice. Kenma isn’t … the fondest of people. Especially new ones. You wonder just who this Shouyou is.  
  
        “A new friend,” Kenma tells you after a beat of silence. His eyelids feel very heavy now. “I think the two of you would get along well,”  
  
        “Shouyou, huh…” you say, somewhat pensively. When Kenma doesn’t reply, you bring it upon yourself to keep the conversation going. “So today, Iwata-Sensei … “  
  
        Kenma buries himself further under his quilt, relishing in the warmth he felt because of you. You keep on chattering, oblivious to his growing fondness for you. He decides there isn’t any sound in the world that is more sweeter than your voice. The way you speak is so melodious. Kenma isn’t very much of a music listener, but he considers your voice his favourite song. Sweet and tender, he can feel himself drifting further into sleep.  
  
        “… but Ueda-san apologised in the end, so yeah.” You conclude. Silence takes over once more, and you busy yourself by playing your game. After a few battles, there still isn’t a sound from the other line.  
  
        “… Hello?” You call out. “Kenma?” This time, you speak more softly.  
  
        “…” There’s only the sound of faint breathing on the other side of the line. Kenma must’ve fallen asleep while you were sharing your story. You sigh in feign exasperation, wanting the call to have lasted longer. You shrug and end the call, opting to turn in as well.  
  
        Unbeknownst to you, there is a smile on Kenma’s face as he lays fast asleep. His hand is still clasped around his phone but his game console lies beside him, opened and untouched.  
 

 

 

**that you might never know how I feel.**

        Kuroo and Kenma stand by the gates of the school waiting for you to finish up with your club activity. As more groups of students walk by, the more dread pools into Kenma’s stomach. He’s afraid you won’t be there to meet them. To meet him.  
  
        Last night, you both had a slight misunderstanding over text messaging, and the last few words the two of you exchanged were a bit ambiguous. The conversation ended on a somewhat sour note, with Kenma spending quite a bit of time reflecting on his actions, rigorously analysing his words, criticising himself, and taking the blame for it all.  
  
        “Relax,” Kuroo’s drawl breaks him out of his line of thought. Kenma gives him a look. How could he relax when they could possibly—  
  
        “… hate me,” is the only thing Kuroo manages to pick up from Kenma’s mumbling. As his best friend, he doesn’t need any further clarification to know what he’s talking about.  
  
        “What? No,” Kuroo scrunches his face and then sighs. “You’re being overcritical again.” His best friend doesn’t reply, too wrapped up in his worries to even bother thinking of one. Kuroo isn’t put off in the slightest.  
  
        “Really,” Kuroo says, hooking an arm around his best friend. “You’re okay,” Kenma sighs in exasperation. Although he is sporting his usual mask of disinterest, Kuroo knows better. The way his eyes are frantically scanning the crowd for your face, completely ignoring the console in his hands, shows just how distraught he is by this minor disagreement.  
  
        So when you finally emerge from the school entrance, he can’t even begin to describe how relieved and grateful he feels to see you smiling widely at him in your usual manner.   
  
        He feels a nudge at his side and turns meets Kuroo who shoots him an ‘I-told-you-so,’ face. Kenma blankly stares back.   
  
        “Sorry if I kept you too long!” You say when you finally reach their side, and the three of you begin your trek home at once. Your presence alone isn’t enough to quell Kenma’s worries inside, and he fidgets uncomfortably as you chatter with Kuroo about your day. He decides it’s time for him to swallow his fears and bravely move forward in spite of his insecurities.   
  
        Opening his bag discreetly, he shuts off his console and places it inside before drifting closer to you. You’re quick to notice his nearing presence and welcome him into your’s and Kuroo’s conversation warmly. The way Kuroo is grinning from ear-to-ear at him sends shivers down his spine. But Kuroo is just happy at his best friend’s progress. Kenma doesn’t understand how he can be so ridiculously delighted over something like this.  
  
        When Kuroo busies himself on his phone to give the two of you space, Kenma uses it as an opportunity to ask about how you’re feeling from last night’s misunderstanding.  
  
        “Oh?” Your smile is so unmistakably genuine that he can feel his worries melting away. “I’m completely fine! What about you, huh?”  
  
        “I’m good if you are,” He says with a small smile on his face. You nod, satisfied. But then you notice something off. Kenma's hands are void of any kind of gadget. The only time he wasn't playing games was during class time and when playing volleyball. Every other time, you're guaranteed to see his eyes glued to the screen and fingers mashing buttons.  
  
        “Hey, where’s your game?” Kenma freezes but quickly regains his composure. His schoolbag dangling on his shoulder suddenly feels much heavier now.  
  
        “It’s… out of battery.” He says. You nod your head in understanding which brings Kenma relief, although he wants to hit Kuroo over the head for eavesdropping. (“Ohoho?”) He's thankful for the way you move on so quickly, because before he can say anything more, you're already talking about something else. Your presence is more than enough to give him a sense of peace inside, so much so that he finds himself almost breaking into laughter at a joke or two you had made.  
  
        As the three of you walk, Kenma finds himself closer and closer to your side with your arms brushing against each other with every stride he takes. Being by your side, he finds, feels just right.

  
 

 

**But everyday, I’ll keep trying my best to reach you,**

        It’s almost four in the morning and you’re close to drifting asleep. Kuroo had invited you and Kenma to stay at his place overnight for a movie (and gaming) marathon.   
  
        There’s nothing illuminating the room except for the TV screen currently showing the credits of the game you and Kenma had just finished moments before. Kuroo had already fallen asleep long a while ago, right before you started the final stage of the game. Right now, he’s splayed on his back, snoring slightly and drool gathering at the corner of his mouth. You snicker at how harmless he looks.  
  
        With the game finished, you collapse onto the futon next to Kuroo. Kenma shuffles quietly around the two of you, his heart frantically beating, before settling on your other side. Silence blankets the room which is occasionally broken by a snore or grunt from Kuroo.  
  
        Kenma gazes down at your sleeping form. Eyes closed, and softly breathing; you were the very picture of serenity. Though his heart is banging at his rib cage, Kenma feels a sort of calmness. Enough calmness for him to be able to reach out and move the hair out of your face. Your lips twitch up a little into a soft smile. It’s then he knows you’re awake.  
  
        “Hey…” Kenma starts gently. You open your eyes, drowsy with sleep, and look at him patiently. His throat suddenly feels dry and he can feel sweat gathering at his palms. Averting his gaze, his cheeks start to redden, but he trudges on.  
  
        “... Y-You’re just the one I’ve been looking for,” He says almost inaudibly. You raise a brow, wondering why the words sound so familiar.   
  
        “And I’ve never... gotten the chance,” he whispers, “to tell you how amazing you are,” You jump up, almost knocking foreheads with him but he narrowly dodges it. You grab onto his forearm, a wide smile splitting your face  
  
        “Wait—Kenma—You—”  
  
        “Shut up,” he mutters, cheeks flushing a deeper red as he covers his eyes with his arm. You bite your lip, afraid you’ve ruined an important moment, but then you spot a hint of smile on his lips, which lightens your mood up considerably. Kenma still refuses to meet your gaze, and you’re almost expecting him to retreat and curl back, but instead he takes you by surprise when he leans forward and places a feather-light kiss on your forehead. He’s thankful for the lack of light, otherwise you would have probably noticed his incredibly crimson cheeks.  
  
        You stare at him wide-eyed, able to make out in the darkness Kenma smiling. Genuinely smiling. And it's breathtaking  
  
        “Just…” Kenma begins. “… Thank you.”

 

 

**and hopefully, one day, our hearts can meet.**

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this piece to illustrate how incredibly precious friendship is, and I hope you can all walk away from this feeling that same kind of love and appreciation for your loved ones. AND love for yourself too!! For simply being a friend to someone :^>


End file.
